Black Sabbath wants Bill Ward to return

Ozzy Osbourne is adamant he wants departed drummer Bill Ward to rejoin the Black Sabbath reunion, insisting the rockers would welcome their bandmate back into the fold.

Ward walked out of the group just four days before its comeback show in its native Birmingham, England in May over an ongoing contract dispute.

The Paranoid hitmakers had to recruit a replacement percussionist for their reunion shows, sparking rumors Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler have fallen out with Ward – but they’re adamant he’s welcome back any time.

Osbourne tells The Times Magazine, “There was no row, there was no argument. The door ain’t closed, whether we work something out up the road, I don’t know.”

Iommi adds, “It’s not a personal thing. If he phoned us up tomorrow, which he hasn’t, but if he did…”